Life is like a tree. Beneath the surface are the roots, the past, all the paths that lead to this moment and make it exactly as we experience it. This moment is the solid, sturdy trunk, and the future is the crown branching into limbs, where every branch, every leaf is one possible future. Going […]
Master the language of löyly—an ABC guide to Finnish sauna terms for travelers. Speak like a local and enhance your sauna experience.
Imagine yourself in a Finnish sauna. The heat of the steam caresses your skin, and in your hand is a fragrant bundle of birch twigs. But do you call it a “vasta” or a “vihta”? This small linguistic difference is not only part of a larger story about the richness of the Finnish language and […]
Learn the do’s and don’ts of Finnish sauna culture – this guide helps international visitors enjoy the sauna experience respectfully and with confidence.
Advert: Visit Raseborg The parking area at Fiskars Ironworks is completely empty. I smile with delight as I see the text on the local bus passing by in the village: Ha en bra dag, ‘Have a good day’. Oh, yes. The ironworks, adorned in autumn colors and tranquility, feels in early October as if it […]
The trail selection in Lemmenjoki National Park mainly consists of quite long routes suitable for hikes. However, it is also possible to explore the park on shorter day trips. One of these somewhat shorter and easier trails is the Sallivaara Trail, which is still six kilometers each way – making it a total of 12 […]
Text and photos: Outi Johansson Did you know that Finnish forests produce hundreds of millions of kilograms of bilberries at their peak? Thanks to the Everyone’s rights, this superfood is accessible to everyone. Have you already ventured out to pick your share from the hidden shady mounds, rocky crevices, or the edges of bogs? The […]
Finland boasts a few dozen official national landscapes, the most famous of which is probably Koli National Park. However, there are also other renowned places such as the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, the maritime Helsinki and Porvoo Old Town. Among these national landscapes are also lesser-known gems, and one such jewel is the picturesque, utterly charming […]
I’ve never felt more like a modern city dweller than when I found myself standing in the doorway of a small hay barn in Suomussalmi. The barn is filled with fragrant, clean hay, piled over a meter high even at the end of summer, and I have no idea what to do next. How do […]
On the shores of Saarilampi pond, on the western edge of Nuuksio National Park near Helsinki, stands a red and charming cabin, Tikankolo, in splendid solitude. It is, along with its sauna, the only cabin pair on the entire wilderness lake. My husband and I had booked the cabin for our use through Natura Viva, […]
